LTCC to cancel outside use of facilities and implements policies to limit COVID-19 spread

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is committed to helping mitigate the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and to take measures to keep staff and students safe. With that in mind, effective immediately LTCC is canceling all community events and outside group meetings planned for on campus to help reduce the chance of exposure and spread. Furthermore, LTCC is canceling all non-essential travel for LTCC employees. These are measures designed to reduce (but not eliminate) the risk of exponential community spread of COVID-19. These measures will be in effect until further notice.

The following communication was shared internally with all staff, faculty and administrators, and a separate communication also went out to students.

Beginning Thursday, March 12, LTCC will use the following guidelines regarding all on-campus events:

All events that are expected to draw 15 community members or more will be canceled or postponed. If a large meeting or event can be moved to an online platform, then it may still occur but without an in-person audience for it on campus.

Visits of groups of more than 15 people will be canceled or postponed. This includes campus orientation tours and other events that bring visitors to LTCC’s campus. Tours may continue but only with groups of 15 or less.

All meetings and events scheduled by outside entities and organizations to be held on LTCC’s campus will be canceled or postponed. To clarify, LTCC is now closed for outside groups’ meetings or events on the LTCC campus.

Student-only or student/staff events hosted by LTCC can still be held if expected attendees are less than fifty individuals, but social distancing measures will be put in effect to reduce the potential for virus spread based on advice from the Centers for Disease Control. This means utilizing measures such as maintaining a recommended six-foot distance between students to minimize contact and spread. It also means having hand sanitizer readily available at student gatherings. LTCC organizers will be working closely with any catering services to ensure sanitary practices.

During this time, LTCC will not hold student club food fundraisers due to increased likelihood for spread of germs via food booths.

As an update, the art reception scheduled for this Saturday has been cancelled as well as the meta-majors Frida Kahlo event scheduled for Friday.

Beginning Thursday, March 12, LTCC will use the following guidelines regarding non-essential travel:

LTCC employees will not participate in non-essential college sponsored travel.
This includes all travel for conference purposes. Many of the California Community College conferences scheduled for this Spring have already been cancelled or are in the process of being cancelled in light of the Governor’s announcement yesterday limiting all gatherings statewide that involve 250 people or greater.
Essential travel is defined as something that is required for ongoing operations of the district including delivery of materials for our Incarcerated Student Program, participating in required meetings to receive district funding, and required involvement to maintain grant eligibility. For a simple reference, most travel is non-essential and only very limited travel can be deemed essential with the approval of Vice President Russi Egan, Vice President Dr. Michelle Risdon, or President Jeff DeFranco.

This decision to cancel or postpone community events, cancel outside meetings on campus, and freezing non-essential travel was made out of an abundance of caution for our students, staff, faculty, and for community members who utilize our campus. It is a precautionary measure meant to help slow the spread of the virus. The college is being guided in these decisions by both the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Department of Public Health and its guidelines for colleges and universities for COVID-19 containment. While we don’t believe we can fully stop the spread of the virus, it is our hope to be part of a community and statewide effort to help slow down the spread of the virus and Flatten the Coronavirus Curve. The graph below explains the intent of these efforts to help reduce the curve in an effort to assist our health care system in being better prepared for responding to the virus.

LTCC is conducting an ongoing review of all event and travel policies as new information about the virus comes in. Any updates will be communicated via internal emails to staff and faculty, direct-to-student emails, the college’s website (http://www.ltcc.edu/coronavirus), and via social media accounts and the Coyote Corner app (download for free).

At this time, these restrictions are in effect until further notice. No changes to these policies are expected to be reviewed prior to the end of the winter quarter ending Friday, March 27. Standby for future communications as additional decisions and changes in practices are likely forthcoming.